Jan. 17, 2014
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Find out the weather where you are, and get a few tidbits of weather history. / WUSA

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Friday will feature a small snowstorm for the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast, while most of the rest of the nation sees clear skies and typical January temperatures.

A low-pressure area will scoot across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast on Friday, bringing light snow to the Ohio Valley and Appalachian mountains.

Light snow showers are also possible again Friday in portions of North Dakota and Minnesota.

The coldest temperatures will remain over the upper Midwest and western Great Lakes, with highs only in the single digits and teens.

The West will be clear and dry, though fog will be a problem in parts of the Northwest. Southern California will be hot and windy, bringing ongoing concern about wildfires.

Weather history for Jan. 17: The temperature soared to 98 degrees in Laredo, Texas, in 1936, a January record for the U.S. In 1977, the temperature dropped to -19 degrees in Columbus, Ohio, a record low for the date.

In 1982, howling Chinook winds gusted to 137 mph in Boulder, Colo., causing the temperature to rise from 21 to 58 degrees in six hours. In 1996, while it was -5 degrees in northwestern Nebraska, it was 60 degrees in the southeastern part of the state.